How to repair broken eyeshadow - Urban Decay BoS III

So a loooong long time ago (in a galaxy far far away...)...

Ok, it wasn't that long ago, that I purchased the Urban Decay Book of Shadows III (along with the Naked Palette). Sadly, when it arrived on my doorstep, one of the shadows was broken! Shattered! Into a million pieces like the Death Star when it got blown up. /sadface

Look at that huge chunk stuck to the magnetic strip in the packaging!

Poor Perversion. I lost quite a bit of it because of the magnetic strip. But I wasn't going to give up on it completely. Luckily, there's heaps of videos and posts on the web on how to mend a broken eyeshadow. And it's actually really easy! :)

So here's what you need:

• Rubbing alcohol, aka methylated spirits. Very important. This is what will bind the powder together. The more concentrated it is, the faster your shadow will dry. Mine is 90%. You can get this quite easily from a pharmacy. Alcohol also makes for a good disinfectant! We use 70% ethanol in the lab to disinfect surfaces (bench tops mostly). A dropper or something that allows you to pour the alcohol onto your eyeshadow in a small controlled amount would be handy (I just used a little plastic spoon that I had in the kitchen), as well as a small container to pour the rubbing alcohol into.

Disclaimer: Safety first, kids! Alcohol is flammable, even the fumes (which can also make you drunk lol!), so make sure you've got good ventilation and aren't near any open flames or heat sources. There! So if you set yourself on fire or get caught for drunk driving after mending your eyeshadow, you can't say I didn't warn you! :p

• Something to mash your eyeshadow with (toothpicks, in my case). I think breaking the eyeshadow down before pressing it back into shape makes it easier for the individual particles to bind together. And you're less likely to get any pockets of air inside.
• Something with a flat surface to press the eyeshadow. Preferably in the same, or slightly smaller, size and shape as the eyeshadow pan. If it's too big, you won't be able to get an even surface as you'll see later on. I couldn't find anything else around my home, so I used the cap of an old YSL lipstick (!!) which didn't quite fit. 
• Something to cover your "presser" (yeah, I couldn't think of a better word). A lot of tutorials suggest using paper towel or a cloth, so that you get a nice imprint on the eyeshadow. I chose clingwrap because I didn't want to waste any more of my eyeshadow because it will stick those other materials.

So first you crush it...

Then you dunk it (in your rubbing alcohol)...

You don't really need a lot here, depending on how much eyeshadow there is, a few drops will do. I think I may have gone a little overboard with mine, but oh well. It evaporates pretty quickly. I just mixed the eyeshadow and rubbing alcohol using the toothpick.

Then you press it...

Just press firmly, and all over til the surface is even.

Let it dry...

It doesn't really take very long to dry, but I wouldn't suggest using it straight away. I forgot to time how long it took, but if you leave it overnight you should be fine. Some people say to use a hairdryer or put it in the oven, but I don't think there's a need for that.

And finished!

Easy, right? If you've got any questions, please do comment and ask!

 Just a quick update on me: I'm actually back in my home country of sunny sunny Singapore! Getting fat on all the delish food. And I'm still writing up my thesis, can you believe it?! I, unfortunately, can. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'll never finish.
Best things about being back: Food! There's so much choice and it's so cheap (or it can be)! Crazy good shopping! Again, lots more choice, especially for Asian brands like Holika Holika, Majorca Majolica. Sasa, Uniqlo and Sephora have physical stores here too, as well as new player H&M (SO HAPPY!). Family! I'm not so fond of being nagged and pressured all the time by parents but still. It's nice to be together. And I get to see my brother and cousins!
Worst things about being back: Too humid. Too many people. I don't know how to get around anymore (FAIL). I miss my friends. I miss Melbourne. I miss my (Melbourne) home. I miss my boyfriend. I miss my dance classes and the Melbourne Latin dance scene. There, that's two of my biggest addictions out of reach.

Ok, I'll just abruptly end it here, as it's getting late and I need to sleep. Maybe I'll do a haul post next.... ;)